Thoughts on Embalming

In mortuary college we were taught that embalming is the art and science of temporary preservation and disinfection of a deceased. But recently I went to search for the definition of embalming on the internet, and it amazed me what variations there were for the definition. So beyond the internet, our laptops and i-phones, embalming is what we do behind closed doors. More than 25 years ago I started embalming and I never knew how many years it would take to become a “good embalmer.” I would say that during my apprenticeship I assisted with over 300 embalmings, and the next 20 years over 2,000 embalmings. Now, I am lucky to administer the art and science of embalming on 50 embalmings or more a year in a town with a cremation rate that is over 50%. I can say that I’ve mastered the “science” of embalming, and I think most of us can, too.

But today, I really enjoy the “art” of embalming. For me it is the quiet time in the preparation room for a few hours. I’ve had years to hone my skills and learn new ways from other embalmers. Today, I have my own unique way of embalming. I can only say this after visiting other funeral homes throughout the years. What is different? Is it the hand and arm placement, the height in the casket, or level of the chin and forehead? Is it the lighting? Is it less cosmetics or full cover make-up? Is the pillow fluffed, flattened or are the deceased’s head and shoulders resting gently? I believe that “what works for us” is working! I still believe that the most important job at our funeral home is embalming, cosmetics, and presentation. I believe funeral service is a ministry and I live it 24/7. But there are days when I have to stop, get my adrenalin up and get in the preparation room and embalm. I appreciate the years of experience in that special room! Maybe because I am not embalming every day I really value the patience and expertise of other embalmers who spend each day in the preparation room. Keep up the good work, and say thank you to each Master Embalmer for sharing and passing the skills to the next generations that will foster the “art” of embalming to last forever.

John W. Evans, CFSP • Secretary/Treasurer, Academy Board • Email: john@norwalkfuneral.com

A publication of the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice

Winter 2016

5 Cost Effective Ways to Connect With Hospice1. Engage with hospice providers through Facebook and Twitter2. Contribute valuable content about funeral planning to a hospice provider’s iTunes app3. Use your LinkedIn account to connect with hospice care team members and give them a

glowing recommendation4. Co-sponsor with hospice a Little Free Library featuring grief books (littlefreelibrary.org)5. Roll out the red carpet at visitations and funerals for hospice care team members

Lacy Robinson, CFSP • Member, Academy Board of Trustees • Email: lrobinson@nfda.org

Welcome to 2016!I have been honored to serve your Academy as president for the last year and I look forward to serving you for another year. There are many exciting things happening with your Academy. The entire Board of Trustees has been working diligently to bring forth new ideas and programs that not only add value to your membership, but more importantly, provide you with “real life” solutions for your career.

Based on feedback we’ve received, the abundance of magazines in funeral service today is overwhelming. Therefore, we are proud to introduce our New Compass. This annual publication is designed specifically to provide you with hands on ideas that you can easily implement this year in a format that is quick and easy to read. Throughout the year we will provide you with other forms of communication that will reinforce many of the concepts represented here. We will also be implementing a training program for all Academy Ambassadors.

I would like to call on you for your active support of the Academy’s Legacy Endowment in 2016. This endowment was established for the purpose of promoting life-long learning in funeral service. The Board of Trustees of the Academy will grant scholarships and make bequests from the income, appreciation and any other earnings generated by the Legacy Endowment Fund for the purpose of funding funeral service education for mortuary science students and funeral service practitioners. Any donor who gives $1,000 or more to the Legacy Endowment Fund, either in a lump sum or through installment payments, will be recognized as a Legacy Fellow. In addition to outright donations, a great way to get involved can be through “in memoriam” gifts for colleagues who pass away. What better way to remember an individual’s dedication to our profession than through a gift that will help others to make an impact in funeral service.

By working together, we will make 2016 a great year not only for the Academy but most importantly for our members. On behalf of myself, our officers, trustees and our Executive Director, thank you for allowing us to serve you!

John T. McQueen, CFSP • President, Academy Board of TrusteesE-mail: john.mcqueen@andersonmcqueen.com

Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, Inc.PO Box 1160Buchanan, GA 30113-1160

Call for Nominations for the Board of TrusteesWe will be electing four (4) new Board members in the 2016 election. Any certified member interested in serving on the Board of Trustees of the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice should submit a letter of intention in one of the following ways:

1. US Mail or 2. Fax or 3. E-mail to webmaster@apfsp.com with a return receipt

Deadline for submission is May 1, 2016.

We will send you a form to complete and return with a photograph. This information will be used in the preparation of the ballots. If you don’t receive this form by May 1, please call the Academy office to be sure we’ve received your letter of intent to run for the Board of Trustees. Board members are expected to attend Board meetings (2 per year) and participate in conference calls, as well as complete the new Ambassador Training.

www.apfsp.org

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDCARROLLTON, GA

PERMIT NO. 101

Academy Board of Trustees’Commitment to Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is an organization’s way of defining its direction and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue and reach its goals and objectives. Last September, the Academy Board of Trustees met in Atlanta, GA, for a Strategic Planning Session. The Board’s goal was to continue their commitment in positioning the Academy as the premier voluntary certification program for lifelong learning for all death care practitioners.

This meeting produced ten focus areas for the upcoming year. In order to grow the Academy, some of those areas agreed upon by the Board of Trustees include Ambassador training, branding, marketing, communications, the Legacy Endowment Fund, and relationships with other organizations. Increasing membership for the future is critical for any organization, and the Board believes that our Ambassadors are a key component in this quest. Beginning in the spring, live webinar training will be provided to named Ambassadors that have been a CFSP in good standing for a minimum of 3 years.

Strategic innovation and “tinkering” with the strategic plan will be a cornerstone strategy in order for the Academy to survive the turbulent business climate that we all face today. The future is bright for the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice (APFSP), your organization! Have you completed your funeral home’s strategic planning for 2016?

Valerie J. Wages, CFSP • Member, Academy Board • Email: Valerie@wagesfuneralhome.com

Answering Cremation Phone Inquiries

There is no doubt that cremation phone inquiries most often come at a busy time. You may be swamped with paperwork and facing urgent deadlines, and shifting your focus can be challenging. But that person, whether a family member or friend of the family, took time to call your funeral home, so the least you can do is give them your time in return. Take a look at the recommended techniques below that can help you transform a basic cremation phone inquiry into a valuable cremation phone discussion.

• Give yourself a proper introduction followed by asking for the person’s name• Ask permission to explain the different cremation services offered• Ask the key question, “Has anyone taken the time to explain the different choices

that are included in cremation prices?”• Offer a price range of services offered• Discover the family’s wishes and experience with cremation

“Have you given thought to how you may want to remember your husband’s life?” “May I ask is this the first cremation you are planning in your family?” “How did you come to select cremation for your husband?”

• Use words that drive value (e.g. honor, tribute, remember)• Share a heartfelt commitment statement that provides peace of mind• Communicate differentiating factors of your funeral home• Invite the family to the funeral home and explain what will take place• Give the caller your contact information including email address• Encourage the family to visit the funeral home’s website• Convey empathy and acknowledge personal information shared with you• Thank the person for calling using the word ‘appreciate’• Speak with a compassionate and genuine tone

Lacy Robinson, CFSP • Member, Academy Board of Trustees • Email: lrobinson@nfda.org

Increasing Your Funeral Home Website Traffic

Whether you are on Facebook or not, this strategy will generate more traffic to your website than any other strategy - paid or free. Print the following information on your letterhead and hand it to your client families at the time of the arrangement.

There are 5 simple steps for the client family to add their loved one’s obituary link to Facebook: 1. Go to the page where the obituary is for your loved one or friend 2. Copy the web page URL (address) from the Address Bar in the top of the Browser • Select the address and then Copy it “Ctrl + C” • This is an example of what the Address looks like: http://www.YourFuneralChapel.com/john-doe 3. Log into Facebook 4. Paste the link into the Update Status area where it says, “What’s on your mind?” 5. Select the appropriate picture, add a comment (optional), tag people (optional) and click ”Post”

Another strategy that will get you the same results is one that Charles Castiglia, CFSP, of New York uses. He shows the families how to share their loved one’s obit using their mobile phone. This is done by clicking on the Facebook share icon on the online obit.

Not only will you get more traffic to your website, you will get more condolences for your families and as Dr. Earl Grollman stated, “Grief shared is grief diminished.”

Robin M. Heppell, CFSP • Vice President, Academy Board • Email: robin@funeralfuturist.com

What Do People Experience Walking into your Business?

Last fall, my wife, Debra, and I left Charleston to attend an evening concert in Charlotte, NC, to see recording artist Bonnie Raitt, and to do a little shopping. After shopping in several of the traditional “box” stores, where Debra had to search for sales staff to answer questions to only be referred to a kiosk, we spotted a large Harley Davidson dealership. We decided it would be neat to shop for a tee shirt for our young grandson. Although walking into this store was certainly different and in some ways a little out of my wife’s element, the experience was simply terrific! The experience had nothing to do with a beautiful show room filled with shiny bikes, an array of clothing, and a multitude of bike accessories. This experience was all about the Harley Davidson store staff – this experience was about people. We were greeted with a big smile and hearty handshake by a twenty year veteran of the Charlotte Police Department motorcycle squad. It might have been obvious to the trained professionals that we were not there to make any big purchase, however, as we made our way throughout the store, every single staff person was pleasant and eager to engage in conversation. When I asked about their life at the dealership, everyone had the same response – they LOVED being there. Besides loving life at the dealership, they were all totally enthusiastic about Harley Davidson!

What do people experience walking into our businesses to make arrangements? Are we using tools/computer software that “support” making the arrangement process seamless; or, are we working with our heads so awkwardly buried into a computer screen/arrangement folder that we never see the family? Are we attempting to make the arrangement conference meaningful by being attentively engaged, listening to requests and skillfully “framing” this into something the funeral home can support? Or, are we motivated to take an order, get a cremation authorization signed, and be finished in thirty minutes?

What do people experience walking into our businesses when they ask for a cup of coffee? Are they treated to a Starbucks Café, such as what John McQueen offers in his funeral home in Florida or what Chris Robinson built as an addition for his funeral home in South Carolina; or, is the coffee an afterthought with the pot shoved into the corner?

What do people experience walking into our businesses when they want to play a DVD for a visitation or service? Are there flat screens beautifully integrated into the décor of the entire funeral home such as what is offered by Posey Funeral Directors in South Carolina, or is there a computer screen sitting on a table somewhere in the funeral home?

I know we are not working in a Harley Davidson dealership; however, the personal experience at Harley evokes a customer connection and a bond of loyalty. Funeral Directors are very much in the “people business.” Maybe we need to rededicate our mission statement, commit to elevating the bar of excellence and adopt a Harley dealership mentality: “We love being here.” I just want to know, “What do people experience walking into your business?”

Robert E. “Bob” Parks, CFSP • Member, Academy Board of Trustees • Email: bob.parks@jhenrystuhr.com

Academy Board of Trustees’Commitment to Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is an organization’s way of defining its direction and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue and reach its goals and objectives. Last September, the Academy Board of Trustees met in Atlanta, GA, for a Strategic Planning Session. The Board’s goal was to continue their commitment in positioning the Academy as the premier voluntary certification program for lifelong learning for all death care practitioners.

This meeting produced ten focus areas for the upcoming year. In order to grow the Academy, some of those areas agreed upon by the Board of Trustees include Ambassador training, branding, marketing, communications, the Legacy Endowment Fund, and relationships with other organizations. Increasing membership for the future is critical for any organization, and the Board believes that our Ambassadors are a key component in this quest. Beginning in the spring, live webinar training will be provided to named Ambassadors that have been a CFSP in good standing for a minimum of 3 years.

Strategic innovation and “tinkering” with the strategic plan will be a cornerstone strategy in order for the Academy to survive the turbulent business climate that we all face today. The future is bright for the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice (APFSP), your organization! Have you completed your funeral home’s strategic planning for 2016?

Valerie J. Wages, CFSP • Member, Academy Board • Email: Valerie@wagesfuneralhome.com

Answering Cremation Phone Inquiries

There is no doubt that cremation phone inquiries most often come at a busy time. You may be swamped with paperwork and facing urgent deadlines, and shifting your focus can be challenging. But that person, whether a family member or friend of the family, took time to call your funeral home, so the least you can do is give them your time in return. Take a look at the recommended techniques below that can help you transform a basic cremation phone inquiry into a valuable cremation phone discussion.

• Give yourself a proper introduction followed by asking for the person’s name• Ask permission to explain the different cremation services offered• Ask the key question, “Has anyone taken the time to explain the different choices

that are included in cremation prices?”• Offer a price range of services offered• Discover the family’s wishes and experience with cremation

“Have you given thought to how you may want to remember your husband’s life?” “May I ask is this the first cremation you are planning in your family?” “How did you come to select cremation for your husband?”

• Use words that drive value (e.g. honor, tribute, remember)• Share a heartfelt commitment statement that provides peace of mind• Communicate differentiating factors of your funeral home• Invite the family to the funeral home and explain what will take place• Give the caller your contact information including email address• Encourage the family to visit the funeral home’s website• Convey empathy and acknowledge personal information shared with you• Thank the person for calling using the word ‘appreciate’• Speak with a compassionate and genuine tone

Lacy Robinson, CFSP • Member, Academy Board of Trustees • Email: lrobinson@nfda.org

Increasing Your Funeral Home Website Traffic

Whether you are on Facebook or not, this strategy will generate more traffic to your website than any other strategy - paid or free. Print the following information on your letterhead and hand it to your client families at the time of the arrangement.

There are 5 simple steps for the client family to add their loved one’s obituary link to Facebook: 1. Go to the page where the obituary is for your loved one or friend 2. Copy the web page URL (address) from the Address Bar in the top of the Browser • Select the address and then Copy it “Ctrl + C” • This is an example of what the Address looks like: http://www.YourFuneralChapel.com/john-doe 3. Log into Facebook 4. Paste the link into the Update Status area where it says, “What’s on your mind?” 5. Select the appropriate picture, add a comment (optional), tag people (optional) and click ”Post”

Another strategy that will get you the same results is one that Charles Castiglia, CFSP, of New York uses. He shows the families how to share their loved one’s obit using their mobile phone. This is done by clicking on the Facebook share icon on the online obit.

Not only will you get more traffic to your website, you will get more condolences for your families and as Dr. Earl Grollman stated, “Grief shared is grief diminished.”

Robin M. Heppell, CFSP • Vice President, Academy Board • Email: robin@funeralfuturist.com

What Do People Experience Walking into your Business?

Last fall, my wife, Debra, and I left Charleston to attend an evening concert in Charlotte, NC, to see recording artist Bonnie Raitt, and to do a little shopping. After shopping in several of the traditional “box” stores, where Debra had to search for sales staff to answer questions to only be referred to a kiosk, we spotted a large Harley Davidson dealership. We decided it would be neat to shop for a tee shirt for our young grandson. Although walking into this store was certainly different and in some ways a little out of my wife’s element, the experience was simply terrific! The experience had nothing to do with a beautiful show room filled with shiny bikes, an array of clothing, and a multitude of bike accessories. This experience was all about the Harley Davidson store staff – this experience was about people. We were greeted with a big smile and hearty handshake by a twenty year veteran of the Charlotte Police Department motorcycle squad. It might have been obvious to the trained professionals that we were not there to make any big purchase, however, as we made our way throughout the store, every single staff person was pleasant and eager to engage in conversation. When I asked about their life at the dealership, everyone had the same response – they LOVED being there. Besides loving life at the dealership, they were all totally enthusiastic about Harley Davidson!

What do people experience walking into our businesses to make arrangements? Are we using tools/computer software that “support” making the arrangement process seamless; or, are we working with our heads so awkwardly buried into a computer screen/arrangement folder that we never see the family? Are we attempting to make the arrangement conference meaningful by being attentively engaged, listening to requests and skillfully “framing” this into something the funeral home can support? Or, are we motivated to take an order, get a cremation authorization signed, and be finished in thirty minutes?

What do people experience walking into our businesses when they ask for a cup of coffee? Are they treated to a Starbucks Café, such as what John McQueen offers in his funeral home in Florida or what Chris Robinson built as an addition for his funeral home in South Carolina; or, is the coffee an afterthought with the pot shoved into the corner?

What do people experience walking into our businesses when they want to play a DVD for a visitation or service? Are there flat screens beautifully integrated into the décor of the entire funeral home such as what is offered by Posey Funeral Directors in South Carolina, or is there a computer screen sitting on a table somewhere in the funeral home?

I know we are not working in a Harley Davidson dealership; however, the personal experience at Harley evokes a customer connection and a bond of loyalty. Funeral Directors are very much in the “people business.” Maybe we need to rededicate our mission statement, commit to elevating the bar of excellence and adopt a Harley dealership mentality: “We love being here.” I just want to know, “What do people experience walking into your business?”

Robert E. “Bob” Parks, CFSP • Member, Academy Board of Trustees • Email: bob.parks@jhenrystuhr.com

Thoughts on Embalming

In mortuary college we were taught that embalming is the art and science of temporary preservation and disinfection of a deceased. But recently I went to search for the definition of embalming on the internet, and it amazed me what variations there were for the definition. So beyond the internet, our laptops and i-phones, embalming is what we do behind closed doors. More than 25 years ago I started embalming and I never knew how many years it would take to become a “good embalmer.” I would say that during my apprenticeship I assisted with over 300 embalmings, and the next 20 years over 2,000 embalmings. Now, I am lucky to administer the art and science of embalming on 50 embalmings or more a year in a town with a cremation rate that is over 50%. I can say that I’ve mastered the “science” of embalming, and I think most of us can, too.

But today, I really enjoy the “art” of embalming. For me it is the quiet time in the preparation room for a few hours. I’ve had years to hone my skills and learn new ways from other embalmers. Today, I have my own unique way of embalming. I can only say this after visiting other funeral homes throughout the years. What is different? Is it the hand and arm placement, the height in the casket, or level of the chin and forehead? Is it the lighting? Is it less cosmetics or full cover make-up? Is the pillow fluffed, flattened or are the deceased’s head and shoulders resting gently? I believe that “what works for us” is working! I still believe that the most important job at our funeral home is embalming, cosmetics, and presentation. I believe funeral service is a ministry and I live it 24/7. But there are days when I have to stop, get my adrenalin up and get in the preparation room and embalm. I appreciate the years of experience in that special room! Maybe because I am not embalming every day I really value the patience and expertise of other embalmers who spend each day in the preparation room. Keep up the good work, and say thank you to each Master Embalmer for sharing and passing the skills to the next generations that will foster the “art” of embalming to last forever.

John W. Evans, CFSP • Secretary/Treasurer, Academy Board • Email: john@norwalkfuneral.comA publication of the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice

Winter 2016

5 Cost Effective Ways to Connect With Hospice1. Engage with hospice providers through Facebook and Twitter2. Contribute valuable content about funeral planning to a hospice provider’s iTunes app3. Use your LinkedIn account to connect with hospice care team members and give them a

glowing recommendation4. Co-sponsor with hospice a Little Free Library featuring grief books (littlefreelibrary.org)5. Roll out the red carpet at visitations and funerals for hospice care team members

Lacy Robinson, CFSP • Member, Academy Board of Trustees • Email: lrobinson@nfda.org

Welcome to 2016!I have been honored to serve your Academy as president for the last year and I look forward to serving you for another year. There are many exciting things happening with your Academy. The entire Board of Trustees has been working diligently to bring forth new ideas and programs that not only add value to your membership, but more importantly, provide you with “real life” solutions for your career.

Based on feedback we’ve received, the abundance of magazines in funeral service today is overwhelming. Therefore, we are proud to introduce our New Compass. This annual publication is designed specifically to provide you with hands on ideas that you can easily implement this year in a format that is quick and easy to read. Throughout the year we will provide you with other forms of communication that will reinforce many of the concepts represented here. We will also be implementing a training program for all Academy Ambassadors.

I would like to call on you for your active support of the Academy’s Legacy Endowment in 2016. This endowment was established for the purpose of promoting life-long learning in funeral service. The Board of Trustees of the Academy will grant scholarships and make bequests from the income, appreciation and any other earnings generated by the Legacy Endowment Fund for the purpose of funding funeral service education for mortuary science students and funeral service practitioners. Any donor who gives $1,000 or more to the Legacy Endowment Fund, either in a lump sum or through installment payments, will be recognized as a Legacy Fellow. In addition to outright donations, a great way to get involved can be through “in memoriam” gifts for colleagues who pass away. What better way to remember an individual’s dedication to our profession than through a gift that will help others to make an impact in funeral service.

By working together, we will make 2016 a great year not only for the Academy but most importantly for our members. On behalf of myself, our officers, trustees and our Executive Director, thank you for allowing us to serve you!

John T. McQueen, CFSP • President, Academy Board of TrusteesE-mail: john.mcqueen@andersonmcqueen.com

Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, Inc.PO Box 1160Buchanan, GA 30113-1160

Call for Nominations for the Board of TrusteesWe will be electing four (4) new Board members in the 2016 election. Any certified member interested in serving on the Board of Trustees of the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice should submit a letter of intention in one of the following ways:

1. US Mail or 2. Fax or 3. E-mail to webmaster@apfsp.com with a return receipt

Deadline for submission is May 1, 2016.

We will send you a form to complete and return with a photograph. This information will be used in the preparation of the ballots. If you don’t receive this form by May 1, please call the Academy office to be sure we’ve received your letter of intent to run for the Board of Trustees. Board members are expected to attend Board meetings (2 per year) and participate in conference calls, as well as complete the new Ambassador Training.

www.apfsp.org

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDCARROLLTON, GA

PERMIT NO. 101